MeCard QR Code Generator

MeCard is a lightweight contact format that originated with Japanese mobile phones. It holds the essentials (name, phone number, email and website) in a much shorter string than a vCard. A shorter payload means fewer modules, so the code can be printed smaller or read from further away. That suits stickers, name tags, lanyards and the corner of a flyer where space is tight. QRPebble builds the MECARD: string and escapes special characters in each field. If you need a company name, job title or postal address, use the vCard generator instead; MeCard deliberately trades those fields for compactness.

Design options
Fill in the form to preview your code.

Static code: the data is encoded directly, so it never expires and is not tracked. Need to change the link after printing or count scans? Create a free dynamic code.

How to make it

  1. Type the Full name as you want it saved in the recipient's contacts.
  2. Add a Phone number with country code, an Email and a Website if wanted.
  3. Compare the preview with a vCard version of the same data: the MeCard pattern should be visibly less dense.
  4. Download and test on the phones you expect people to use.

What gets encoded

The payload looks like MECARD:N:Jane Doe;TEL:+14155550123;EMAIL:[email protected];URL:https://example.com/;; with semicolon-terminated fields and a final double semicolon. Backslash, semicolon, comma, colon and double quote are escaped. Android scanners and Google Lens widely support MeCard, and recent iPhone cameras generally offer to add the contact too. Support in older or niche scanner apps is less consistent than for vCard, so test before a large print run.

Where people use it

  • Name tags and lanyards at meetups
  • Small stickers on laptops or equipment cases
  • A compact contact block on a flyer
  • Contact codes on product manuals for a support line

Tips before you print

  • MeCard codes stay readable at around 2 cm wide with short details, smaller than an equivalent vCard.
  • Enter the name exactly as you'd like it to appear, since some phones won't split it into first and last.
  • Use high contrast on stickers; a coloured code on a coloured sticker is harder to read than black on white.
  • If a scanner shows raw MECARD: text, switch that audience to the vCard version.

FAQ

Why pick MeCard over vCard?

It makes a smaller, simpler code for the same basic contact details, which helps when print space is limited.

Can MeCard include my company name?

Not in this generator. Use the vCard QR code if you need company, job title or address.

Is MeCard supported on iPhone?

Recent iOS camera versions generally recognise MeCard contacts, but test on your own device first.

Related generators